Government must not interfere in arts, says President Lee Jae Myung

President Lee Jae Myung, second from right, speaks on a panel discussing the future vision of the K-pop industry in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, in a prerecorded broadcast aired by Arirang TV on Aug. 20. Other panelists included Maggie Kang, writer and director of “KPop Demon Hunters,” members Jihyo and Jeongyeon of K-pop girl group Twice and music producer R.Tee. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

 
For K-pop to grow as a global industry, Korea must expand its performance infrastructure, foster balanced development across the arts and provide decisive government support — without control or interference, said President Lee Jae Myung during a televised appearance on the Arirang TV special “K-pop: The Next Chapter,” which aired on Wednesday.
 
“K-pop may dazzle on the surface, but is its foundation truly solid?” he said. “If it’s to become a pillar of Korea’s national industry, we cannot leave it to individuals or companies alone. It is the government’s role to build strong roots.”
 
 
President Lee has consistently emphasized the importance of K-culture since taking office. He declared on Monday that, “If peace is the foundation of economic stability, K-culture is a new engine for national power,” vowing to grow the related market to 300 trillion won ($215 billion).
 
At the center of that vision is the K-pop industry.
 
“Music comforts and encourages people in difficult times,” he said. “During hard periods, people sang ‘Sangloksu [Evergreen Tree],’ written by Kim Min-ki and sung by Yang Hee-eun. People need moments of solidarity, empathy and joy. Culture and the arts provide that.”
 

President Lee Jae Myung, center, speaks on a panel discussing the future vision of the K-pop industry in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, in a prerecorded broadcast aired by Arirang TV on Aug. 20. Other panelists included Maggie Kang, writer and director of “KPop Demon Hunters,” members Jihyo and Jeongyeon of K-pop girl group Twice and music producer R.Tee. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

 
“At the same time, I feel a sense of responsibility [in K-pop’s struggle to expand],” the president said, expressing regret over Korea’s lack of large-scale concert venues compared to Japan. “As governor of Gyeonggi, I tried to build the Ilsan Arena, but the plan fell through. If building new venues is difficult, we should at least consider modifying existing spaces.”
 
He also stressed the importance of supporting the fine arts.
 
“For a great tree to grow, the field around it must be well-tended,” he said. “Support and cultivation across the full spectrum of the arts, including the fine arts, are essential. Without a strong foundation, the cultural industry is a castle built on sand. Opportunities must be evenly distributed so that new talents and products can emerge.”
 
Citing former President Kim Dae-jung’s cultural philosophy — “Support without interference” — President Lee underscored the need for government restraint.
 
“Freedom and creativity are essential to the arts, yet political power has an instinct to control,” he said, referencing the so-called “cultural blacklist” scandal during past administrations, where outspoken artists were allegedly put under secret surveillance. “The government must not interfere but should provide support like watering a plant — so that creativity and competition can flourish.”
 

President Lee Jae Myung, third from left, speaks on a panel discussing the future vision of the K-pop industry in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, in a prerecorded broadcast aired by Arirang TV on Aug. 20. Other panelists included Maggie Kang, writer and director of “KPop Demon Hunters,” members Jihyo and Jeongyeon of K-pop girl group Twice and music producer R.Tee. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

 
Speaking to director Maggie Kang, who directed the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” President Lee praised the incorporation of Korean cultural elements into the English-language film.
 
“You should feel proud showcasing our culture,” he said. “I was impressed by the use of details like pairing seolleongtang [beef stew] with kkakdugi [white radish kimchi], turning tigers into lovable characters and transforming grim reapers into idols.”
 
Director Kang shared that the project didn’t originally start with K-pop in mind, but instead was drawn to Korean elements like grim reapers and yogoe, or monsters.
 
“That led to the ‘Demon Hunter’ concept, and K-pop was added later,” she said. “From there, it naturally evolved to include oriental medicine clinics and bathhouses.”
 
Jihyo and Jeongyeon of girl group Twice, who sang the film’s theme song “Takedown,” also shared their thoughts.
 

President Lee Jae Myung, third from right, speaks on a panel discussing the future vision of the K-pop industry in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, in a prerecorded broadcast aired by Arirang TV on Aug. 20. Other panelists included Maggie Kang, writer and director of “KPop Demon Hunters,” members Jihyo and Jeongyeon of K-pop girl group Twice and music producer R.Tee. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

 
“When we first performed in the U.S. six years ago, no one recognized us,” they said. “Now, fans greet us in Korean. We’re so thankful.”
 
President Lee remarked that K-pop has helped drive global interest in Korean language, food and beauty products. He also promised more foundational support for the arts.
 
“No other formerly colonized country has democratized and industrialized like ours,” he said. “We’ve achieved an astonishing transformation in a short amount of time. That will continue to spark curiosity around the world. The more people see Korea, the more fascinating it becomes — a truly remarkable country of the East.”
 
“Rather than relying on conventional, surface-level investment, we will rebuild cultural policy from the ground up so that culture can become a central pillar of the Korean economy. Meeting people’s cultural aspirations will be a key task for the future — and we intend to be among the first to reach that goal,” he added.
 

President Lee Jae Myung, center, poses for a photo after speaking on a panel discussing the future vision of the K-pop industry in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, in a prerecorded broadcast aired by Arirang TV on Aug. 20. Other panelists included Maggie Kang, writer and director of “KPop Demon Hunters,” members Jihyo and Jeongyeon of K-pop girl group Twice and music producer R.Tee. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HWANG JEE-YOUNG [[email protected]]